And now, just to try something completely different, how about a little common sense?

If all the tough guys down at Dove Valley have gotten their ya-yas out, could we take a break from the posturing to examine this thing through the law of supply and demand?

Which is easier to replace, a 25-year-old Pro Bowl quarterback or a 32-year-old rookie coach?

No contest. There are thousands of football coaches out there who have never won an NFL game, hundreds with an NFL assistant’s job on the resume, dozens with a coordinator’s job.

At present, there are exactly three 25-year-old quarterbacks with a Pro Bowl on the resume. Eliminate the two who were injury replacements — Vince Young in 2007 and Derek Anderson in 2008 — and there is exactly one. His name is Jay Cutler.

So rather than throw up his hands in resignation as if this ill-advised soap opera is an act of God outside his control, perhaps owner Pat Bowlen should check his Dove Valley ID card. He’s in charge. At least, that’s what he keeps telling us. So here’s a thought: Maybe it’s time he acted like it.

He can start with this: Cutler not showing up for voluntary offseason workouts is not a big deal unless the Broncos make it one. If the Broncos can teach Cutler the meaning of the word “employee” by talking about trading him, Cutler can teach the Broncos the meaning of the word “voluntary” by not attending voluntary workouts. If it’s a business, it’s a business.

It’s the Broncos, not Cutler, who elected to take the rah-rah out of it.

Contrary to popular belief, Cutler and Josh McDaniels don’t have to love each other. They don’t even have to like each other. As George Karl pointed out the other day, he and Kenyon Martin were at war three years ago. Now they’re fine. Sometimes, everyone just has to chill.

Cutler is under contract for three more years. He could force the issue by refusing to show for mandatory camps, but he said he doesn’t plan to do that.

Being outraged by the spoiled star athlete is more fashionable than usual these days, so feel free to take your shots, but Cutler is also the principal victim of a spate of rookie coaching mistakes.

Even if you have no problem with the merits of Cutler-for- Matt Cassel — and I do — McDaniels’ first big boo-boo was not coming clean about it. As recently as Sunday night, he was still claiming “we were contacted multiple times about different scenarios,” as if the Broncos were in a purely passive role, just answering the phone.

Earth to Josh: Almost no one believes that. Cutler has information that you approached the Bucs to gauge their interest in a potential three-way deal with the Patriots. The story doesn’t make much sense any other way. Why would Tampa Bay approach Denver? What would make Bucs management think the Broncos’ Pro Bowl quarterback was available? Why would New England call Tampa Bay to rustle up interest in a three-way deal when the Patriots were clearly happy with the deal they had in place with Kansas City, a deal they ultimately made?

This was the crux of the problem between McDaniels and Cutler. McDaniels was not truthful about his active pursuit of Cassel. By the time he finally admitted to Cutler on Saturday that he wanted Cassel, it was time to turn the page and assure Cutler they could go forward together. Unless, of course, McDaniels actually thinks he can improve upon Cutler with relative ease. If so, Bowlen needs to examine whether his own opinion of Cutler the quarterback has changed as dramatically as his organization’s.

Let me just say this: In his first 37 starts, 54 touchdowns and 37 interceptions. And he’s just getting the hang of it.

The Broncos’ owner is older than his coach and his QB put together. His last chance to retain the guy he calls his “star quarterback” is to take the reins and hold them steady. Let tempers cool. Call the trade attempt and skipping the voluntary workouts a wash. Give everybody a month to settle down.

Just because McDaniels mishandled this episode does not mean the Broncos have to trade their franchise quarterback. Those guys are hard to find.

Four assistant basketball coaches at Division I schools and a top Adidas executive were among 10 people charged Tuesday with crimes including bribery and fraud as part of a wide-ranging federal investigation into corruption in college basketball.

CenturyLink, the telecommunications company that ended its sponsorship agreement with Broncos linebacker Brandon Marshall because of his protests during the national anthem last year, said it will not terminate its agreement with current client Emmanuel Sanders.